Battery terminal



Jan. 3, 1939'. T J. PLACHY I 2,142,759

BATTERY TERMINAL Filed Sept. 18, 1937 IN V EN TOR! (/emes flac Patented Jan. 3, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BATTERY TERMINAL James Plachy, Cleveland, Ohio Application September 18, 1937, Serial No. 164,582

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a battery terminal and it consists in the constructions, arrangements and combinations herein described and claimed.

It is an object of the invention to provide a battery terminal in which a resilient reinforcing member is incorporated in the terminal'body and having means for effecting connection with a cable, as well as providing a terminal which will have positive retention upon a battery post, even though the lead forming the terminal becomes crystallized.

It is a further object of the invention to construct the reinforcing. member in such manner that the bearing contact of the binding nut and bolt of the terminal is borne by the reinforcing member.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a clamp in which the reinforcing member may be assembled upon a cable within the mold, thereby permitting the lead to be poured around the reinforcing member, insuring proper centering and bond in the lead.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide means on the reinforcing member for effecting, bond with the metal constituting the body of the terminal.

Additional objects, advantages and features of invention will be apparent from the following description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure l is a horizontal sectional view through a clamp constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation.

Figure 3 is a sectional view at right angles to Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the reinforcing member.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the blank.

Referring to Figures 4 and 5, there is illus trated a reinforcing or insert member ID formed from a single blank of any suitable hard metallic material such as brass or steel, and as particularly shown in Figure 5 consists of a strap ll of any suitable gauge, length and width and upon one longitudinal edge thereof is formed a right angular extension l2, terminating in oppositely extended arms l3. The strap II is reinforced longitudinally by spaced ribs H, and adjacent the terminations of the blank, the metal of the blank is punctured and extruded to form collars IS.

The longitudinal edges of the blank has formed therein a series of teeth l6, preferably stopping short of the collars IS. The blank thus provided may be formed in a single stamping operation, which is then shaped to the contour of the finished clamp which is accomplished by bending the blank at its medial portion to provide parallel arms I! (see Figs. 1 and 4). This bending of the blank will present the collars IS in diametrically opposite registered relation. The arms it are next bent, presenting a clip, generally indicated at l8, sufilciently open to receive the bared wires IQ of a cable .20 therebetween. The arms I3 are now bent to firmly grip wires l9 therebetween. Obviously, the insert may be formed as a casting, if desired.

The formed blank and the cable are now centered in a suitable mold which of course will provide for the usual battery post aperture and cable socket, and the molten metal poured thereinto. Obviously the metal will be deposited upon opposite sides of the formed blank. The resultant article will thus have the reinforcing element l firmly embedded within the metal defining the clamp, by reason of the serrations or teeth I 6, and preferably the reinforcing element will be of a resilient character imparting a similar characteristic to the lead defining the clamp proper.

The mold will be of such shape that the finished clamp will have the lead surrounding the collars I exposed at their exterior surfaces and the exposed portions of the collars at one side will have a squared or hexagonal recess, as at 2| for reception of the head of a binding bolt 22 and the opposite side will have a circular recess 23 for the collar of a nut 24.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the binding bolt 22 and nut 24 makes direct contact with the reinforcing element l0 which in turn is directly connected with the wires IQ of the cable. thereby insuring direct flow of current from the battery to the source of usage, the lead of the clamp serving only as a secondary means of con-,

tact or current supply.

While I have shown and described'a preferred embodiment of the invention, this is by way of illustration only, and I consider as my own all such modifications in structure as fairly fall within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:-

A battery terminal comprising a body member of soft metal having a pair of apertured clamping jaws and a terminal socket, a reinforcing member molded within the body member, said reinforcing member having portions extended longitudinally of the jaw members and terminating beyond the apertures of the jaws, the longitudinal edges of the reinforcing member having serrations and parallel rib members spaced inwardly thereof, a collar on the reinforcing member adjacent respective terminations of the reinforcing member, inwardly extended and aligned with the apertures of the jaws, the reinforcing member at the collar portions being exposed for direct contact with the head and nut of a clamping bolt, and a'clip on the reinforcing member disposed within the socket for securement of a cable.

JAMES PLACHY. 

